Munich – Starring Oktoberfest in a leading role
So finally, the moment had arrived. Twenty days into our travels, we were in Munich; originally planned as our first stop in Europe, but pushed back due to our arrival into Europe in early September. The Pai had I have been wanting to make it to Oktoberfest with our mates since the last four years, but have not been able to do so due to silly excuses like mates bailing out, not getting approved leave from work, or being too drunk to get on a plane to Munich amongst many others. In hindsight, should have gone ahead despite of the latter excuse. Ah well.
Chapter 1: Annette and her abode
So here we were in Munich, post a two hour train ride from Salzburg, on September 24 2012, years of pain of not making it behind us, itching to get into one of those all swallowing tents at the ‘Wiesn’ (as Oktoberfest is called in German). We were to stay with my mate Annette with whom I had acquainted myself in KLx four years ago whilst on an Accenture training course. God bless these overseas training courses, for whether you learn or not, you definitely do meet someone worthwhile and Annette was one such person. While on the topic, I might as well declare here that I had a massive crush on this girl when I met her four years ago. Let’s move on.
Prior to heading to her place, we did a quick trip to the airport, posted my Blackwolf backpack to Sydney, headed into town and purchased one of those famed Deuter backpacks. My back which had been in much pain thus far due to the ill fitting BlackWolf backpack, rejoiced at the sheer joy of having the soft cushion paddings of the Deuter caress it.
So with a massive smile on face, my back in order, we headed to Annette’s place in Brudenmustrabe, which was just 2 stations from the Wiesn and located in a little quiet neighbourhood. It was an absolute joy to see Annette again after 4 years, yes my heart did skip a beat, I am after all male, and she was lovely enough to offer her place to the Pai and I for the entire week that we were to stay in Munich. Now we are are not talking just any place, but a 5 star penthouse equipped with every little luxury you can imagine. Touch screen TV, coffee maker, fridge full of beer and wine, a massive sofa lounge, ufff! This was just what we needed after 20 days of ‘roughing it’, although I wouldn’t quite call it that as we did have luxurious stays in most places that we couchsurfed in Italy. Nevertheless, we took to Annette’s house like a bee to honey.
A very fiery sunset from Annette’s penthouse
Chapter 2: The Wiesn – also known as Oktoberfest
The very next day, Annette’s boyfriend Andy was bloody awesome, in that he managed to secure us spots on his corporate table at the Paulaner tent. What this meant was that we were to have all our food, mass’s of beers (1 litre mugs) paid for; and just when we thought that things could not have got better than the 5 start apartment!
We knew that Oktoberfest was a festival of enormous proportion, and were prepared to witness mayhem, but nothing could have prepared us for the atmosphere inside the beer tents. Waiters and waitresses armed with 5 litres of beer in each hand, stormed down the aisles screaming for people to get out of their way, drunken masses of people walked down the aisles like the living dead, music blared from the center of the tent from where a live band performed and there was the deafening noise of people chatting, singing and just reveling in what is obviously of the the most grand carnivals one will ever witness.
We did not waste much time in joining the mayhem and soon we were well on our way to being your typical Aussie drunk revelers at the Wiesn. A bit slight bit off topic, but we were told that the Australian embassy in Germany opens a special division in Munich during Okotberfest each year to cater to the 700 Aussies that lose their passports during the 2 weeks of Oktoberfest. How that was possible, we could not fathom, but the Australians and the English did not seem to enjoy a very healthy reputation amongst the Germans at the Wiesn – for obvious reasons.
Nevertheless, we survived our first go at the Wiesn with no major damage apart from smelling like we’d just had a beer bath scrubbed with cigarettes. No big deal.
Dee thrilled to be alive!..Well thrilled to be holding a mass of beer at the Wiesn. Also cheers to Annette for lending her Drindl to Dee for the night
With the guys who made it all happen at the Wiesn – Annette & Andy
Chapter 3: Munich outside of the Wiesn
Now this might sound improbably, but there was life in Munich outside of the Wiesn as well. We found that out when we undertook a free walking tour with the ‘Sandeman’s New Europe’ tour company. In what is becoming fast popular in many major cities, these tours are at no cost to you except for ‘tips’ at the end of the tour to your guide.
Our tour took us around the impressive Rathaus (Town Hall), a few churches that had been bombed during WW2, the outskirts of one of the biggest in Europe – the ‘Englishgarten’ which houses Europe’s largest beer garden – the Chinese beer garden and a lot of talks on Bavarian history prior to and during WW2 for e.g. one of Hitler’s visits in 1939 involving a rousing speech to the German masses to support the Nazi party. I’d highly recommend this tour for people of all ages, languages (they are multilingual).
The very impressive Rathaus. The architecture is simply fascinating.
Chapter 4: Second go at the Wiesn
Not satisfied with just one visit to the beer tents, I decided to venture out again with my mate Anna and her buxom mate Michelle to the tents again for just a quiet evening out. Except it turned out to be anything other than a quiet. This time around I was armed with a very expensive Lederhosen which I had decided to purchase so I could feel like one amongst the locals and be ‘accepted’. I noticed on my first visit that people in the tents tend to shun you should you not be attired in traditional Bavarian clothing.
As it was a Friday afternoon, we struggled to get seats and very quickly resorted to using the ace up our sleeve – Michelle’s cleavage to get us seats amongst a group of slightly inebriated Swiss boys. One has to have a seat to be served at the tent, and desperate times called for desperate measures, however crude they may be. Many beers, dances, songs, laughs later I finally managed to make it out again without any major damage out of those all consuming tents.
Mate and fellow Oktoberfest reveler Anna
The Facts
Next Stop: Dusseldorf